24th October – 24th February 2019. Tate Britain, London
Words by Lavinia Dickson-Robinson

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, First Baronet ARA was one of the most important British artists and designers of the 19th century, closely associated with the later phase of the
Pre-Raphaelite movement. He was great friends with William Morris, and through this exhibition one can see how closely both worked together. They became friends at Oxford, where they also met Gabriel Dante Rossetti, who had greatly influenced their work.

Burnes-Jones’s works are so beautiful that you will have to catch your breath. The diversity of media used by Burne-Jones is astonishing, ranging from canvas to stained-glass, from tapestry to mosaic. The depth and ethereal beauty in Burne-Jones’s work seems magical. He rejected Victorian industrial ideals, taking us instead to an enchanted realm depicting Arthurian knights, Classical heroes and Biblical angels. This massive retrospective exhibition brings together 150 works by the artist, from his early stained-glass windows to two of his most awe inspiring pieces: The Briar Rose c1890 and the unfinished Perseus series (started 1875).

Burne-Jones’s lack of formal training in fine art allowed him to develop a distinct and highly idiosyncratic approach to painting that bridged the fine and decorative arts. The exhibition also includes spectacular large-scale paintings like Love among the Ruins 1870-73 and The Wheel of Fortune 1883 show his international impact, including at the 1889 Exposition Universelle when he emerged on the world stage as the leading light of symbolist art. Two rooms dedicated to the artist’s most famous narrative cycles are shown together for the first time. These huge canvases are among his finest and best-loved works, telling the action-packed story of Perseus and the dreamlike fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty.

I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to spend a grey autumn afternoon than visiting this stunning exhibition.

www.tate.org.uk

Controversial, inspirational and always charismatic, at eighty years of age,
legendary film director Jack Bond still has a lot of fire in his belly.

His latest feature film based on the self-taught artist Chris Moon An Artist’s Eyes has been heralded amongst the critics and fans of the director’s work. In this interview Bond reflects on his life and work, and shares with us some of the best anecdotes of his career, which so far extends over five decades.

I-M: I understand you spent WWII in London with your mum, and that your dad was at the front. Which are the most poignant memories of those times?

J.B: Initially they tried to get women and children out of the towns, so we went for ten days to a beautiful house in the country.  Very quickly we got bored so we came back and spent the rest of the time being bombed.

I have very strong memories of that time. The news came in that my mother’s brother had been killed. She cried uncontrollably. It was terrible, he had been shot down over the sea and I remember as a child being dragged up and down the beach in Wales where the shooting down happened because my mother always dreamed he would turn up one day floating on a rubber dingy with a little red sail.  There wasn’t a chance, of course; it was a fighter plane and it was only bombers which had those things, not little fighter planes. I have very acute memories of the war and I think they shaped me as a person quite a lot. They turned me into a fighter
.

I-M: Did you always want to be a film maker?

J.B: Not really. It is a bit of a story. I always had a problem with my father, a military man and an officer. We were always quarreling, so I decided I wanted to leave home at 15. I convinced my mother to get me a motorcycle so I could be free. She bought me a Vincent 1000, Black Shadow. I learnt to ride and I felt free.

One day I rode my motorbike into Richmond and stopped by a riverside pub. I was 15 and a half, actually not old enough to ride, but I walked into the pub all the same trying to look cool. I went up to the bar and there was a stunningly pretty barmaid who asked me, “What can I do for you?” so I replied, “You could pull me a pint”, then she asked me how old I was and I answered “Old enough to fuck you”; and I got my pint. I waited for her until the pub closed. I’ll never forget that she was wearing a red French beret and a red coat. I never went home again.

I went to school every day and when I finished I joined the army. They wanted to send me to Sandhurst but I refused point blank. The Colonel finally sent me to Beaconsfield, to the Royal Army Educational Corps to be trained as a school teacher. So I became a teacher and then found out how much they earned…


I-M: Is this around the time when you joined the BBC?

J.B: Yes, I managed to join the BBC and started making trailers. I was 22, maybe 23, I had no previous experience and found everything very exciting. It was a strange period in the industry. At this time, we’d write a script and make a trailer for a movie… but the trailer wasn’t actually a clip from the actual film.

Early in those days I was making a trailer for a play called Mad House in Castle Street by director Philip Saville. I was in the studio control room watching a rehearsal, so I could understand what was going on and I heard an American voice singing softly to himself, playing the guitar, but I couldn’t see him. I asked the PA who this person was, and she answered, “His name is Bob Dylan”. I was mesmerized by his voice, so I went down to meet him and convinced him to sing for my trailer. I didn’t think much of the play, so I thought I would just use this track. Philip was furious with me. It was the only fight we’ve ever had.  We actually became close friends.

I-M: Quite quickly you moved onto documentary films, the best known of which is the one you made with Dalí. Could you tell us a bit about that project?

J.B: My trailers were becoming increasingly abstract and people really liked them. At the time, the Controller at the BBC was Huw Wheldon, a genius. I went to him and told him I wanted to make a film about Dalí, and he told me I didn’t stand a chance as Dalí has always refused to make a film with anybody. I tried anyway. I contacted his Manager, who was actually an MI5 spy called Peter Moore. He told me Dalí wouldn’t make a film with me but would be delighted to have me for tea. I took the chance and went to see him at the hotel where he lived. His room was like a gilded cage and Dalí was sitting on a high chair, looking terrifyingly imposing.

Dalí said: “Please be clear that I will never agree to make a film with you or anyone else, but for the sake of argument, why do you want to make this film?” Anticipating this question, I had made up a story in my mind about subconscious realism, etc, but when I went to speak it wouldn’t come out.  There was a rather uncomfortable silence, and suddenly I blurted: “My intention would have been to mentally take an electric drill and get inside your head to destroy you and your subconscious and your ego once and for all.” Peter Moore dropped the tea pot, and just stared. Dalí then said: “We will make a film then.”  And so we did.

I-M: Were you already working with Jane Arden at the time?



J.B: Yes, actually Dalí and Jane had a big fight in the street while we were filming, and Dalí ended up screaming and throwing his hat at everyone. But the next day the whole thing had blown over and they got on fine. It all worked. It was a strange film, but it was great.

I-M: From the mid ‘60s to the mid ‘70s you worked hand in hand with the writer Jane Arden. In 1967 you directed the award winning Separation (1967), produced  The Other Side of the Underneath (1972) and co-directed Anti-Clock (1979). I believe the UK film industry refused to screen Anti-Clock, so you took it to America where it became a hit, is that right?

J.B: Yes, the person who championed the film was Andy Warhol, friend of Dalí’s. He introduced me to him in a taxi, on the way to a Magritte exhibition. He was a strange man, Magritte, looked like a banker, nothing like his art.

I-M: After Jane’s death you went on to work on the South Bank Show and many other feature films and documentaries about artists. How was that period of your life?

J.B: Yes, after Jane’s death I came back to Britain and made Vibration, a 16mm film which I edited myself because I liked cutting film. Things were so much more tactile then.
Then I worked with Melvyn Bragg (now Lord Bragg), who created and produced the South Bank Show. I thoroughly enjoyed that. We made amazing documentaries. I am particularly fond of the work we did on Roald Dahl, Patricia Highsmith and Werner Herzog.


I-M: Your latest film has been the feature length documentary An Artist’s Eyes, about self-taught artist Chris Moon, which was filmed in 2016. How did you come across this project?

J.B: I was mysteriously invited to an exhibition of paintings in London by a young artist I didn’t know at all. I was curious so I went and to my surprise, I saw that many of the works had a red dot. I was looking across the room and this guy came up and said, “I suppose you are wondering who got you here. That would be me, I am Liam West. You are the only person who ever succeeded in making a film with Dalí, so I was wondering if you would like to make a film about this artist.”  

We began shooting in London and moved on to Essex, where Chris Moon was born and bred.  He’d never had an art lesson in his life, but was obsessed with painting. He is car crazy and has a big collection of classic cars. We shot in New York where Chris had an exhibition and did an outrageous photo shoot with Mick Rock who kind of exploded into the action – very entertaining, great fun, and then a road trip across Southern Spain.

I-M: How long did it take to shoot?

J.B: A year, because we wanted to change the locations a lot, and then about six months to edit.  The premiere is at the Curzon Bloomsbury on November 1st with screenings to follow across the UK.


I-M: What was the filming like?



J.B: I was blessed with a brilliant crew, not a weak link anywhere. In this conditions you can really relax because you know you’re getting great cinematography and back-up. Chris was very worried that he was being turned into an actor and he didn’t want that.  For example, in Southern Spain Chris was driving his old Mercedes with his photographer friend, Ian Morrison, and we had microphones everywhere to pick up every word they said, but they said nothing, not a word.  We defeated that problem by catching Chris off guard. We wrote a few quite intense questions and Chris’s responses were immediate and genuine. He gave everyone what they wanted. That is most of the dialogue of the film.

Chris likes to paint to music and when we first filmed he wanted to be filmed painting a picture from beginning to end. While he was doing this he was playing Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’. Unfortunately we couldn’t get clearance to use it in the film.  It was by coincidence that we met a man called Gabriel Bruce whom we had seen on the Jools Holland show. He was playing acoustically and we loved it. We tracked him down.  He had just finished recording his album Come All Sufferers and gave us the soundtrack. The end result is a film I believe to be quite magical.

For all information on An Artist’s Eyes please visit the film website:


www.an-artists-eyes.com

By Lavinia Dickson-Robinson

Now in its 45th edition, and for a 10th time, LAPADA has created a Stylish pop up in the middle of Berkley Square.

LAPADA is the largest association of art and antique dealers in the UK. For one week every year over 110 specialists come together for the annual LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair. The fair has always been known for showing the most prestigious and rare pieces. So what better place than the heart of Mayfair to display exquisite collections of painting, sculpture and divine jewellery together with a dazzling array of beautiful antiquities that you never thought you need but now you can’t live without? You know that saying I can resist everything but temptation? Well, this is very true of the LAPADA Arts & Antiquities Fair

A preeminent exhibition of this kind needs an excelling executive team. Lord de Muley, who is chairman of LAPADA was pleased to announce in his chairman’s statement the appointment of Freya Simmons as CEO and Sophie Wood at Fair Manager. With 20 years experience between them, having worked at companies like Christie’s and Clarion among other, these two exceptional women are perfectly placed to continue the growing success and popularity of this incredible fair.

Each year there are awards in certain categories:

Best furniture went to Mackinnon Fine Furniture – Best Furniture
Pair of George II Green Japanned Bureau Book case attributed to Giles Grendel England circa 1740

Witney Antiques – Best Object
Pair of Gloves – Leather, silk worked with silk and metal thread, spangles; long and short satin, knots and couching stitches, metal bobbin lace.

The Linda Blackstone Gallery – Best Glass
Meadow Bowl by Louise & Colin Hawkins – Hand Blown and Hand Sand Blasted, 2018

Lucas Rarities – Best Object d’art
Nightingale – A Cartier 19th Century songbird cage belonging to the late Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s head designer from 1933-1970. Movement by E. Flajoulot of Paris.

Boccara – Best Textile/Best Stand
Allegory of Time – wool tapestry hand-woven at Aubusson. “C Dodane” at bottom left and “Aubusson”at bottom right 350 x 270 cm Circa 1930.

The Old Corkscrew – Best Silver
Rare Victorian novelty silver sovereign case marked for London 1883 in the form of a Japanese Noh mask by Louis Dee.

Ellison Fine Art – Best Fine Art
Portrait miniature of William Holman Hunt by Edward Robert Hughes after 1905.

VDK Jewels
A demi-parure comprising a necklace and earring in yellow gold embellished with pearls and diamonds by Ferdinando Sandi, Padova 1972.

Honourable Silver Objects – Special Mention.
So, if you only manage to get to one Art Fair this season, let it be this one. It is an Aladdin’s cave of wonder and beauty!

www.lapada.org

A Rebel with a Cause

This past summer, French Lebanese artist Mouna Rebeiz exhibited her second UK solo show ‘The trash-ic. Or trash in the face of beauty’ at the Saatchi Gallery. This exhibition presented the artist’s personal view on current societal issues – each work displayed is not about painting trash as much as it is about painting a period that is “trash”. Not provocative or scandalous for scandal’s sake, but rather an attempt to convey the movement of the times, via the movement of the paintbrush.

Rebeiz uses both the techniques of the Great Masters and applied art. Her work presents many contrasts, throwing up interesting questions and exploring the tension between trash and beauty, and how they coexist as one in art. Our Editor visited the artist at her studio in London for an intimate and candid interview, in which Rebeiz shared her passion for the arts, the secrets of her ever wandering mind, and her sense of purpose.

I-M: I understand you were born into a family of artists and that you were very attracted to the plastic arts since a very young age. Do you remember what made you fall in love with the arts?

M.R: My grandmother was a piano composer. I would say that initially, I loved music and poetry. My grandmother was a piano composer and my uncle is a poet; we have singers in the house, my sisters are interior designers…

Being a painter was unexpected for me. I’ve always loved art but I never wanted to be a painter. I refused the call time and again. I was always good at it, at school I was always top of the class at drawing and painting but for some reason I didn’t want that to be my future.

I-M: You studied Psychology at La Sorbonne, and it wasn’t until 1995, when you joined the Atelier Cépiade in Paris with Alix de la Source, that you really immersed yourself in the study of the arts. Why not earlier?

M.R: It was my sister who really wanted to paint and insisted we looked together for a studio in Paris. I found Atelier Cépiade, and when I met Alix de la Source I agreed to start a course there. At the beginning we did very simple techniques like peinture paysanne, and I didn’t like it, I found it grotesque so I told Alix I wanted to do something more refined. She said: ‘then you have to start painting with oils.’ My first instinct was to refuse but she insisted and brought some roses to paint. I thought that would be impossible but she painted the first one for me and encouraged me to continue. I loved it. I don’t know what happened but I painted as if I knew how, as if I had been using oils all my life.

I-M: Alix de la Source is a specialist of 17th and 18th century painting, and lecturer at the Louvre, I understand that she introduced you to the techniques of the Great Masters and helped you evolve your personal style. How was that journey?

M.R: The moment I accomplished those roses with oils I knew that was it. She told me, “it seems you are going to go far, quickly” and she immediately gave me another assignment, another still life of Yan van Huysum. She made me study the Old Masters and copy their paintings and techniques for a decade. We went to all the big pinacothèques in Paris: the Louvre, the Mussee d’Orsay, Jacquemart-André… all of them. After those 10 years, I was feeling that she had too much influence on me and that I was ready to fly alone.

I wanted to paint on a large scale and she thought it was too poster-like. But when she saw my first “independent” work, she loved it.

I-M: What happened between that moment and your last exhibition, ‘The trash-ic”, which was quite controversial, presenting the dilemma of trash and beauty together and debating how they can cohabit?

M.R: I used to work on a bit of a metaphysical plane. I’d work on misery, and beauty, and pain; intangible concepts so my friends and colleagues criticised my work as not relevant to our times. They constantly asked me to “come down to earth”. I did this for 10 years with the collection Hymne to life. Through women’s body I’d express a wide range of feelings. I consider myself quite a mystic person; I was using figurative art to illustrate abstract concepts.

It was very conceptual, in an abstract base. I actually think that the work of the Great Masters is very conceptual. People in general think that figurative art can’t be conceptual but they are very wrong. If you analyse any painting from Raphael, or Da Vinci for example, they are very conceptually complex.

So at that point, I started to work with Betty Boop. It was my way to come down to earth. I was speaking about virtuality v reality. 9 years ago I had the feeling that we were walking into a very loose era, one in which we’d lose our parameters, one in which everything would be very mixed-up. At the time nobody understood why I picked up Betty Boop to work with. She is very iconic, and she is not real, she is a virtual creation. In the conceptual confrontation I was creating, Betty Boop was virtuality and real women bodies were reality.

I had two shows on this subject. One expressed confrontation and the other one focused on dialogue.

I-M: Your art in general is brave, feminist and provocative. Is this done on purpose to create controversy?

M.R: No, not at all. I don’t do anything on purpose. It is how it comes out of me, it is the cry of the wild (they cry of the heart). For example, after Betty Boop I felt I was ready to express what I wanted and did Le Tarbouche. This is a very universal theme. It is originally from Greece, coloured in Morocco, the fabric comes from Venice and it was embraced by the Ottomans. The tarbouche is worn by men and empowers them, almost like a symbol of virility. I used it on women. The philosopher Elsa Goddard actually posed for me when she was pregnant, completely naked except for the tarbouche. I was inspired by Bernini’s sculpture The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. The message was a wake up call. Le Tarbouche exhibition in 2015 was my first solo exhibition in London, also at the Saatchi gallery.

After Le Tarbouche I was ready for Trash-ic. I was ready to explore the concepts of trash and beauty together. I started by translating every letter into musical notes and every note into a colour. I did two series of 9 squares. One is very trashy and the other one is much quieter.

For my previous exhibition, La voie de l’opera, from Wagner to Vangelis, Vangelis himself gave me his music, a choral symphony (Mythodia) that he did in collaboration with NASA when they discovered water on planet Mars.

To be honest, only after the Trash-ic exhibition I myself could honestly answer the question “how can they live together?” The answer is: through art, through the act of painting.

It was not about painting trash as much as it was about painting a period that is “trash”. When you paint trash, the beauty and the sublime comes out of it. Painting is an act of magic, capable of bringing out the beautiful dimension of everything, even trash. And so it is that trash and beauty generate/nourish each other, coexisting in the face of controversy and drawing their respective matrixes from a society in search of new points of reference. One no longer exists without the other.

Trash in our society is everywhere, in tv, in social media… we live in a time in which vulgarity is glorified. This affects beauty in a very dangerous way. It distorts minds, it dehumanises us. A human being needs harmony, nature is harmonious, actually the human eye looks for harmony even where there is none, so for example to balance colours, your eyes will always try to see complementary colours together and if they are not there, your eyes will make them up. Art give us back our humanity, art will bring us back to God. Art will save us.

I-M: Who‘d you say is the Master that has inspired you the most?

M.R: I think Goya. Actually I made a version of La Maja Desnuda and one of La Maja Vestida, one more classic, which is in Paris, and one more edgy, which is here in London. Also Hieronymous Bosch, Balthus, and Picasso. These were artists who were not afraid of painting the scandalous, the grotesque, the hardly tolerable, the violent and the beautiful,… all these concepts coexist as one in art. That is the message behind Trash-ic.

I-M: There have been very few recognised female artists in the history of the fine arts. How do you see the situation nowadays? Do you think the world of arts is an even field for men and women?

M.R: No, not at all. Not yet. I am not a feminist but I don’t think there is equality between men and women in the world of art. There is still some prejudice and not recognition enough. However, we women have the ultimate power.

I-M: In your last exhibition you hosted a fundraiser to raise monies for the Charity Innocence In Danger, a world movement for the protection of children against all forms of sexual abuse. How long have you bee involved with this Charity?

M.R: I’ve been involved with this charity for 15 years. Children are sacred to me and we must defend them as they can’t defend themselves. I think that the only time I could kill, it would be for a child.

There is not enough awareness about children abuse, mainly because the abusers hold power and the abused hold none. Children from poor countries are trafficked for all kind of horrific purposes, from sexual trafficking to organ trade. And we call our world civilised?

A specific problem with this cause is that it makes everybody so uncomfortable that nobody wants to speak about it. When you see the things I have seen, what is done to these helpless children, even to babies, you can’t but wonder if God actually exists.

For my last show in London this past summer, I asked renowned designers and artists to apply their individual creative energies to produce unique piggy-banks. Many of those piggy-banks were auctioned by Sotheby’s on the opening night. Participating designers included Chantal Thomas, Christian Lacroix, Caviar House & Prunier, Diane von Furstenberg, Emilio Pucci, Jo Malone, Swarovski, Vangelis, and many more.

I-M: What are you working on at the moment? When will we see another exhibition of Mouna Rebeiz’s works in London?

M.R: I am always painting. I need to, I have to. It is such a primal need. So I have this idea about recycling, that has been playing in my head for the last year or so, and now I have to find a way to express it, to empty my head out. Maybe I will go abstract for this, at least at the moment. It is what my body needs. Abstract is so cleansing!

So at present I need to do more research into materials, technology… I have the feeling that soon we’ll be recycling human beings.

mounarebeiz.com

Emotional States
Somerset House 4-23 September, London

By Lavinia Dickson-Robinson

A highlight of the global design calendar, London Design Biennale sees some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious designers, innovators and curators gather in the capital to show how design impacts our very being and every aspect of our lives.  In response to the theme Emotional States, more than 40 participants from six continents are exhibiting engaging and interactive design installations across Somerset House. In an exhibition of outstanding ideas and creativity, international design teams are illustrating how design can challenge, delight, educate and surprise.

The emotional states behind the theme are fear, sadness, joy, disgust, contempt, joy, anger, and surprise. Each of the 40 participating regions show their individual designs and ideas, in the hope that it can help the world move forward and create a better, more sustainable environment for us all to live in. Jonathan Reekie CBE, Director of Somerset House states, “From its 18th-century origins, Somerset House has played a central role in British society as a place where our culture and collective understanding of the world is shaped and defined. In 1837 the Government School of Design was launched here, later to become the Royal Academy of Art. We hope you enjoy this international exploration through design of Emotional States.

This thought-provoking exhibition has been curated by some of the leading design institutes in the world. These include the V&A, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian, Triennale in Milan, and Qatar Museums.
With this amazing collaboration between institutions and innovative designers, it’s hoped that we can create a better understanding of how to heal and maintain this incredible planet and to share and understand each other for a better world, by uniting global talent, and encouraging future generations to share their ideals of design across all divides. About the relevance of this exhibition, Sadiq Khan says, “It is vital that London retains its position as a design capital and remains open to investment from creative businesses around the world.”

______________
Photo Credits Landmark Projects
• Time for Tea by Scholten and Baijings supported by Fortnum & Mason
• MultiPlyby Waugh Thistleton Architects supported by the American Hardwood Export Council and Arup V&A Projects
• Dazzle by Studio Frith supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies
• Memory & Light by Arvo Part and Arup
• A Fountain for London by Michael Anastassiades supported by The London Fountain Company London Design Biennale
• Designed by Pentagram, masks created by Andy Singleton

Celebrating Disney’s Fantasia
The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN. Until September 30th

Fantasia is one of my favourite movies of all times. The first time my father showed us a clip in Super 8 back in the early 80s, I fell in love with it. Then came the VCR tape and I ended up so taken by it that made myself a sorcerer’s cloak and ran around the house humming Paul Dukas and Mussorgski. So when I heard there was a new production coming to London celebrating this iconic masterpiece I couldn’t wait to go and see it.

The area around The Vaults has cleaned up a lot since my clubbing days so it is perfectly safe for a family trip but still edgy enough for a fun night out. The show Sounds and Sorcery is inspired by the classic 1940 Disney film Fantasia, with a series of unique installations which bring to life some of the world’s most popular and recognisable classical music, including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Rite of Spring, Night on the Bald Mountain and the Nutcracker suite.

The show takes the visitor into a magical journey through a series of rooms, each of which celebrates a part of Fantasia. This is a multi-sensory experience that makes you smile from the very beginning. The installations are dazzling and very imaginative and the actors and dancers perform with flair and passion. It pays off to do your homework in advance so you know what is what and avoid confusion.

Under the musical direction of Stephen Higgins, a 96-piece orchestra has created a new recording especially for the experience. Guests are given individual headphones, so the orchestra guides you on an interactive journey through the different rooms. Each of them has a very different feeling; from a fairy land of colourful flowers to the dark depths of the Sorcerer’s lair.

Kieron Vanstone, Director of The Vaults, and Producer of Sounds and Sorcery, says: ‘When we first began exploring the world of Disney Fantasia, we knew instinctively that this was the next epic scale immersive project for us. For some time we’d been exploring the use of headphones, and specifically binaural technology, as a technique for plunging our audiences deeper into the worlds we create. Fantasia is such an inspiring, iconic movie that truly features some of the most excellent music that has ever been scored. We were incredibly inspired by what Walt Disney and his animators achieved with this music in the original movie, and our immersive take on it will aim to be as ground-breaking, just as inspirational and sprinkled with the same amount of wonderful.’

Anna Hill, Chief Marketing Officer, The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland, says: ‘At Disney we love bringing innovative experiences to new audiences, and we are delighted that The Vaults are staging this Fantasia-inspired production this year, as the film marks a truly iconic moment in the history of Mickey Mouse ahead of his 90th anniversary. Fantasia was, and still is, a ground-breaking movie and Walt Disney’s creativity continues to inspire people all over the world today, so it is fitting that this experiential event is paying tribute to this seminal work in this way.’

Sounds and Sorcery is directed by Daisy Evans, the founder and Artistic Director of Silent Opera whose work focuses on the use of headphones to bring classical music to new audiences. Design for the production has been created by Kitty Callister in collaboration with a variety of artists who have created the installations including David Gregory Sound Designer, Doug Foster Video Designer, Jake Wiltshire Lighting Designer and Andy George Production Manager.

www.soundsandsorcery.com

The British film industry has always been admired and respected all over the world. Never more so than now. We are after all, the nation of David Niven, the Fox Dynasty, Laurence Olivier, Dame Maggie Smith, Rupert Everett, Daniel Day-Lewis and so many more that this list could be a kilometre long! Film is a passion for me. I have spent many rainy afternoons, happily on my own in the cinema watching film after film.

The British film industry has a whole new generation of young film makers. We are very lucky to have so much raw talent in this country and as such, we must fully embrace it. One amazing man, Sam Cullis, with help of the BFI and Film 4 is championing a wonderful initiative aimed at supporting young film makers. He is the mastermind behind the Barnes Film Festival, which started in 2016.

Sam doesn’t have a background in the film industry. He is a local teacher with a passion for movies from a very early age. He is now Head of Media Studies at the Harrodian School in Barnes. Sam has always wanted to share his own love of film making so in 2012, he founded the Barnes Film Academy for young screenwriters, actors and cinematographers aged between 8 and 15. What started as an after-school workshop has become one of the most talked about film academies in London.
The 2018 Barnes Film Festival will showcase filmmaking talent from schools, colleges and universities from all over the UK. This wonderful platform gives an opportunity to young film makers to show their work and for the film industry to spot up and coming talent, so it can be nurtured and given the chance to shine. Who knows where next Hitchcock, Danny Boyle, or Ridley Scott will come from!

One film I particularly like is The Moth, winner of the 19+ category in 2017 and which will be shown again this year. The film was made, and the score written by Rory Campbell, an incredibly shy young man, with an intense personality and harrowing beauty. It is no wonder that his dark, yet compelling film was so successful last year. It is a truly thought-provoking tale of a young man who cannot face the world and wonders if he can cope with life. It is one not to be missed. Rory has also become a course mentor at The Barnes Film Academy.

Barnes Film Festival
Barnes, London
28th – 30th September 2018

The BFI has long championed young film makers; and with the support of IWC, have created The IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Bursary Award, an award of £50,000 for the winner to continue on their creative journey. So it is no wonder that the BFI will be judging this year’s entries at the Barnes Film Festival along with Film4.

With Patrons such as Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci – Lovely bones and The Devil Wears Prada –, and one of our newest and most exciting young actors, George MacKay –Peter Pan and the Lost Boys –, to name but a few. This wonderful film festival Now in its 3rd year, the Barnes Festival will once again enhance young talent, help them grow and hopefully nurture a few future Oscar winners. British Film is right up there with the best in the world. Let’s help this incredible talent shine for all to see.